Assorting-cabinet.



F. F. TODD.

ASSOBTING CABINET.

APPLIoATIoN FILED nu.. s, 1909.

Patented Oct. 19,1909.

WJ TNESSES unrrnn srA'rEs ifea-rinvii OFFICE.

FLOYD F. rom), or NNIONDALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

AssoBrINe-CABINET.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, FLOYD F. TODD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Uniondale, in the county of Susquehanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Assortin Cabinets; and I do hereby declare the fo lowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled inf the art to which it appertai'ns to make and use the same.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in assorting cabinets and more particularly to that class adapted to be used for asserting mail, and my object is to provide a device of this class which may be readily assembled or folded together in a compact form.

. A further object is to provide means -for increasing or decreasing the number of compartments in the cabinet.

A further object is to provide means for quickly assembling the parts forming the cabinet.

A further object is to provide suitable reinforcing means for the cabinet.

A still further object is to provide labeling means for the compartments of the cabinet and a still further object is to provide means for suspending the cabinet lfrom parts of a vehicle or the like.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter referred to 'and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of' this application, Figure l is a perspective view of the cabinet'ready for` use. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view on an enlarged scale, showing the labeling device attached thereto. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the reinforcing means for the cabinet, and, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of support for the cabinet.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates the horlzontal partitions of my improved cabinet, which are preferably constructed of canvas or like fiexible material and 2 indicates the vertical partitions which are likewise formed of canvas and have their upper edges sewed or otherwise secured to the lower face of their respective horizontal partitions, an angular extension 3 being formed at the upper edges of the vertical:

Specification of Letters Patent. appu-cmbnmea miran 9, 1909. serial No. 482,217.

Patented Oct., 19, 1909.

lower ends of the vertical partitions are likewise provided with angular extensions 4, which are adapted to rest on the next succeeding horizontal partition and are removably attached thereto by means of buttons, or

the like 5, which buttons extend through eyes 6 formed in the angular extensions 4, said but-tons being secured in any preferred manner to the partitions 1.

The vertical partitions forming the side walls of the cabinet are extended straight downwardly and buttoned to the next succeeding side wall of each tier of compartments formed by the horizontal and vertical partitions and in order to cause the partitions when collapsed to fit snugly together, the extensions at the upper edges of one set of vertical partitions are extended in one direction and the extensions at the lower edge thereof, in the opposite direction, while the next succeeding partitions have their extensions oppositely disposed to the next preceding tier of vertical extensions.

'In assembling the parts of the device together to form the cabinet, the extensions at the lower edge of the vertical partitions are secured to the buttons on the next succeeding horizontal partition and so on until the cabinet is completed and in order to lend rigidity to the cabinet, a U-shaped reinforclng rod 7 may be introduced into the pockets formed on the horizontal partitions 1, so that when the cabinet is suspended from a bracket, or the like E), the cabinet will not collapse, a ring 10 being. attached to the upper horizontal partition, with which engages the hook terminal 11 of the bracket 9. Instead, however, of employinr that form of bracket shown in Fig. 1, a plate 12 may be provided, extending outwardly from one face of which are pins 13, which pins are adapted to enter the rear ends of the compartments formed by the partitions and thereby support the cablnet.

To facilitate the distribution of the mail, name plates 14 are attached to the forward edgesI of the horizontal partitions 1, the upper and lower edges of said plates having spring arms 15, which are ada ted to clam on opposite sides of the horizontal partitions, while the end sections of the plates are provided with inwardly bent clips 1G, which are adapted to receive and hold any suitable label, such as the name of the patron ,partitions to receive the stitching. The l name plates to the forward edges of the partitions, said plates will always be in plain view of the -lnail carrier.

This form of cabinet is designed particularly for rural mail carriers and may be sup )orted by the brackets, as described, whi e the mail is being assorted, and afterwa'rd placed in any sort of vehicle used for delivering the mail. In delivering the mail, the outside vertical partition on the box is released from its buttons and moved from over the first compartment, so that the mail therein can be readily engaged and removed and as soon as such mail has been delivered, the next succeeding vertical partition may be released and the horizontal partition moved from over the second compartment and so on until all the mail is delivered. If, however, it is desired to reach into the compartments and remove the mail, the cabinet may be left in its assembled position and the hand inserted into the com artment to remove` the mail, the name piate readily designating the name of the subscriber to whom the mail in the various compartments is to b e delivered.

If a package isto be delivered by the carrier which is too large to enter the compartment in the cabinet, any suitable form of device such as colored sticks, or the like, (not shown), may be introduced into'the compartments, thereby indicatin to the carrier that there is a package to e delivered and as many of these devlces may be introduced into each compartment as there are packages to be delivered, so that the carrier will not be compelled to depend upon his memory -for accuracy of delivery, l

After all the mall has been distributed, the cabinet may be folded together and occupl butv a very small s ace, or, if preferre the reinforcing ro s 7 may be removed and the cabinet, after being collapsed,

rolled together. l

By roviding the buttons for securing the severa parts of the cabinet together, any number of additional rows of compartments may be added or taken away, as occasion mtytf requlre.

will :further be .seen that by forming the cabinet of canvas, or like material, the same may be verycheaply constructed and at the same time rendered Very durable and eiicient in practice.

What I claim is:

1. A cabinet of the class described,4com prising horizontal partitions, vertical partitions. having their upper 'edges secured to vthe horizontal partitions and their lower edges removably secured to the next succeeding horizontal partition and means to lend rigidity to the cabinet.

2. A collapsible cabinet formed of horizontal artitlons, a plurality of vertical partitions etween each set of horizontal parti-4 tions, the upper edges of the vertical partitions being fixed to their respective horizontal artitions and means to attach the lower edges of the vertical partitions of the next succeeding horizontal partition.

3. A collapsible cabinet comprising a plurality of horizontal and vertical partitions forming compartments, the upper edges of .the vertical partitions being fixed to the horizontal partitions, means to removabl secure the lower edges of the vertical part1- tions to the next succeeding partition and supporting means for the cabinet.V

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FLOYD F. TODD. Witnesses:

D. H. CoLEMoN, W. F. SHERwooD. 

